Container with manual pump

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this invention is to prevent outside air from entering the bypass pipe portion when air is taken in the vessel for the prevention of a negative pressure, and thereby to secure normal, smooth liquid-discharging operation in the upside-down position of the vessel. For this purpose, the vessel equipped with a manual pump is also provided with a change-over valve unit  20  to switch the liquid supply to the manual pump  1  in response to the change in the posture of the vessel from the upright position to the upside-down position, and vice versa, so that the vessel can be used to discharge forcibly the liquid even in its upside-down position. In such a vessel, the channel taking outside air into the vessel  50  for preventing a negative pressure has an opening to the vessel  50  at the rear of the cap unit  40 . The change-over valve unit  20  is attached to the cap unit  40  from downside in a posture tilted forward and downward so that the outside air rising to the liquid surface in the form of bubbles would not come close to the liquid intake slits of the change-over valve unit  20 . It was also made easy for the check valve of the change-over valve unit  20  to sit stably on the valve seat.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a vessel equipped with a manual pump used tosuck up the liquid in the vessel and forcibly discharge the liquid fromthe vessel by pressing down the nozzle head or manipulating the lever,and relates in particular to the vessel equipped with a manual pump,which can be used in the upside-down position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Among the vessels equipped with a manual pump of the type in which alotion, a detergent, an insecticide, etc., contained in a vessel isdischarged or sprayed by pressing down the nozzle head or manipulatingthe lever, the representative prior-art vessels usable in theupside-down position are described in the Official Gazette of JapanesePatent Publication No. 90-15264 and the Official Gazette of JapanesePatent Application (OPI) No. 96-332423.

These prior-art vessels have a manual pump attached to the mouth of thevessel The vessels are also provided with a valve which can be linkedwith the cylinder of this manual pump and used in both of the uprightand upside-down positions, wherein the valve has a casing (or a bypass)for an auxiliary valve (or a check valve) comprising a valve ball whichserves as the check valve in the upright position. This auxiliary-valvecasing (bypass) is provided with a slit (or a lateral, narrow hole)between the valve seat and a stopper which prevents the auxiliary valve(check valve) from coming off. An intake pipe (or a sucking pipe) isfitted to the lower end of the valve, and in addition, a vacuum controlmechanism is disposed above the auxiliary-valve casing (bypass) toprevent a negative pressure inside the vessel caused by a decrease inliquid volume.

When the vessel is used in its upright position, liquid is sucked upthrough the intake pipe (the sucking pipe) and discharged forcibly bymanipulating the nozzle head or the lever. When the vessel is used inits upside-down position, liquid is sucked up through the slit in theauxiliary-valve casing (bypass) in the open valve state and isdischarged forcibly by the manipulation of the manual pump. In eithercase, a negative pressure inside the vessel caused by a decrease inliquid volume is prevented by taking in outside air through the vacuumcontrol mechanism.

However, the aforementioned prior-art vessels had a problem in that,when they are used in the upside-down position, air taken in through thevacuum control mechanism rises in the liquid and is sucked up, alongwith the liquid, through the liquid intake slit into the auxiliary-valvecasing (bypass) located right above the vacuum control mechanism. Thus,air gets mixed with the liquid which is to be forcibly discharged by themanipulation of the manual pump, thereby making the liquid-dischargingoperation out of order.

The prior-art vessels had also another problem in that, when theauxiliary-valve casing (bypass) is in a roughly horizontal position, thespherical check valve cannot roll on the inclined valve seat surface tosit on the valve seat. If the slit in the auxiliary-valve casing(bypass) is exposed to air, the pump function area sucks up air throughthis slit, thus making the liquid-discharging operation out of order.

This invention his been made to solve these problems found in theaforementioned prior-art vessels. Technically, this invention is aimedat establishing a normal, smooth liquid-discharging operation by takingin outside air for the prevention of a negative pressure inside thevessel and at that time preventing air from entering the pump when thevessel is used in the upside-down position.

This invention is also aimed at making sure that the check valve insidethe auxiliary-valve casing (bypass) sits on the valve seat securely,without rolling out of the valve seat slope even when the vessel isused in the roughly horizontal position.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The means of carrying out the invention according to claim 1 comprises:

Having a vessel in which to contain a liquid;

Having a manual pump which is attached to the mouth of this vessel byway of an attaching cylinder and is used to suck up liquid through thesucking pipe and to discharge forcibly the liquid from the nozzle by themanual operation of the pump lever;

Having a cap unit which is attached to the lower portion of theattaching cylinder of this manual pump and is provided with aliquid-flowing conduit cylinder linked to the manual pump;

Having a change-over valve unit which is attached to the cap unit fromdownside and is composed of a conduit pipe portion linked to the conduitcylinder of the cap unit, a bypass pipe portion having liquid intakeslits in the bypass pipe wall and having a closed upper end, and a basepipe portion at the bottom of this unit; with the liquid flow betweenthe conduit pipe portion and the bypass pipe portion being cut off inthe upright position of the vessel, and liquid being allowed to flowbetween these two portions in the upside-down position, by the action ofa check valve provided inside the bypass pipe portion;

Setting up a vacuum control air channel to the vessel by taking inoutside air through a spot on the cylinder in a state in which thepiston of the manual pump has moved to the inside of the cylinder,passing air into the vacant space inside the attaching cylinder of themanual pump, and supplying the vessel with air at the rear of the capunit; and

Attaching the change-over valve unit to the lower portion of the capunit by tilting the valve unit forward and downward.

When the vessel is used in the upright position, the check valve insidethe change-over valve unit cute off the liquid flow between the bypasspipe portion and the base pipe portion. After the liquid has beenspouted out by manipulating the manual pump and pressure inside thecylinder has become negative due to the return of the piston, the liquidin the vessel is sucked up through the sucking pipe, the base pipeportion, and the conduit pipe portion of the change-over valve unit intothe cylinder of the manual pump. At the same time, outside air is suckedup into the vessel through the vacuum control air channel to prevent thevessel from a negative pressure.

Since at that time, the flow between the bypass pipe portion and thebase pipe portion is cut off by the check valve, the air taken in fromoutside never enters the base pipe portion through the bypass pipeportion, and therefore there is no fear that air gets mixed with liquidin the cylinder.

When the vessel is used in the upside-down position, the check valve ofthe change-over valve unit connects between the bypass pipe portion andthe base pipe portion. After liquid has been spouted out by manipulatingthe manual pump and the pressure inside the vessel has become negativedue to the return of the piston, the liquid in the vessel is sucked upthrough the liquid intake slits and the bypass pipe portion into thebase pipe portion and is sent to the cylinder.

At that time, as liquid is sucked up into the cylinder, outside air issimultaneously taken into the vessel through the vacuum control airchannel, and rises to the liquid surface in the form of bubbles at therear of the cap unit.

Regarding the spot of air bubbles coming to surface, the change-overvalve unit takes such a posture tilted forward and downward (or forwardand upward in the upside-down position) that air goes away from thebypass pipe portion as the bubbles come up to the liquid surface.Therefore, the bubbling air from outside will never be sucked up intothe bypass pipe portion through the liquid intake slits, and there is nofear that air gets mixed with liquid in the cylinder.

When the vessel is tilted toward the lying position due to a decrease inthe liquid volume, the liquid intake slits of the bypass pipe portion isexposed to air although the lower end of the sucking pipe remains dippedin the liquid. Since, however, the bypass pipe portion is tilted forwardand downward, the check valve takes its position on the valve seat, andthus, air will never be sucked up into the base pipe portion through thebypass pipe portion.

The invention according to claim 2 comprises the invention according toclaim 1, wherein a connecting cylinder in a posture tilted forward anddownward is disposed under the cap unit, is linked with the conduitcylinder, and is fitted around the upper portion of the conduit pipeportion of the change-over valve unit.

In the invention according to claim 2, the cap unit is provided with theconnecting cylinder to which the change-over valve unit is attached in aposture tilted forward and downward. Since it is not necessary for thisvalve unit to have a functional portion for being attached to the capunit in a tilted posture, use can be made of a combination of anexisting change-over Valve unit with a sucking pipe as it is.

The means of carrying out the invention according to claim 3 comprises:

Having a vessel in which to contain a liquid;

Having a manual pump which is attached to the mouth of this vessel byway of an attaching cylinder and is used to suck up liquid through thesucking pipe and to discharge forcibly the liquid from the nozzle by themanual operation of the pump lever.

Having a cap unit which is attached to the lower portion of theattaching cylinder of this manual pump, and is provided with aliquid-flowing conduit cylinder linked to the manual pump;

Having a change-over valve unit which is attached to the cap unit fromdownside and is composed of a conduit pipe portion linked to the conduitcylinder of the cap unit, a bypass pipe portion having liquid intakeslits in the bypass pipe wall and having a closed upper end and a valveseat at the lower end inside this bypass, and a base pipe portion at thebottom of this unit; with the liquid flow between the conduit pipeportion and the bypass pipe portion being cut off in the uprightposition of the vessel, and liquid being allowed to flow between theseportions in the upside-down position, by the action of a spherical checkvalve provided inside the bypass pipe portion;

Setting up a vacuum control air channel by taking in outside air througha spot on the cylinder in a state in which the piston of the manual pumphas moved to the inside of the cylinder, passing air into the vacantspace inside the attaching cylinder of the manual pump, and supplyingthe vessel with air at the rear of the cap unit; and

Having at least three guide ribs of a vertical ridge shape disposedcircumferentially around the inner surface of the bypass pipe portionhaving a larger bore diameter than the diameter of the check valve, inan arrangement that positions the check valve axially at the center ofthe bypass pipe portion.

The check valve is supported by the guide ribs so as to remain axiallyat the center of the bypass pipe portion. Therefore, this valve rollsalong the ridges of the guide ribs, and takes the valve seat withoutbeing affected by the slope of the valve seat surface.

Even if the vessel is used in such a way that the bypass pipe portion isin a roughly horizontal lying position and that air is allowed to enterthe bypass pipe portion through the liquid intake slits, the check valvequickly and securely sits on the valve seat due to a slight force actingon the valve (such as the force created by a negative pressure on thebase pipe side), and prevents air from entering the base pipe portion byway of the bypass pipe portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general side view showing the vessel equipped with a manualpump in an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of an importantsection of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view in which the important sectionof FIG. 2 has been farther enlarged.

FIG. 4 is a general plan view of the cap unit in the embodiment shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cap unit seen from lineA—A in the arrow direction.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of an importantsection of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to be used in an upside-downstate.

FIG. 7 is a general side view showing the vessel equipped with a manualpump in another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of an importantsection of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view in which a section of FIG. 8has been further enlarged.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the cap unit in the embodiment shown in FIG.8.

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cap unit taken alongthe line A—A of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the change-over valve unittaken along the line B—B of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a section of theembodiment shown in FIG. 8 to be used in the upside-down state.

THE MOST PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION

The most preferred embodiments of this invention are further described,now referring to the drawings.

FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8 show the manual pump 1, a component to be used as aspray, which has been fitted by way of the fitting cap 30 to the mouthof the vessel 50 by the screw engagement. The pump body 2 has a cover 4and is provided at the tip with a nozzle head 3 having an orifice.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8, the pump body 2 is mounted on tubeattaching cylinder 5 which is fitted by way of the fitting cap 30 to theupper portion of the mouth of the vessel 50. The pump body 2 is providedwith a vertical cylinder 6 having an inside flow channel and a valvemechanism placed at a suitable point halfway along the channel. Anexternal cylinder 8 is fitted around this vertical cylinder 6 and theattaching cylinder 5, and is integrated with the frontal cylinder 7. Theflow channel inside the vertical cylinder 6 is connected to the insideof the cylinder 7 and the inside of the nozzle head 3, and is linkedwith the inside of the vessel 50 by way of the cap unit 40, thechange-over valve unit 20, and the sucking pipe 25.

The operating lever 9 is located on the front side of the pump body 2and is given a bouncing force going back to the original position due tothe action of a spring (not shown in the drawings) after the lever 9 hasbeen pulled manually. The lever 9 is connected to the tip of a piston 10which reciprocates inside the cylinder 7.

A gap 14 is formed partly between the cylinder 7 and the attachingcylinder 5. These cylinders are also provided with air intake holes 11and 12, respectively, which enable outside air to be linked with avacant space 13 inside the attaching cylinder 5 through the gap 14.

An inner cylinder portion 15 is vertically suspended on one side of thevacant space 13 inside the attaching cylinder 5. A cap unit 40 isattached to the attaching cylinder 5 from under the vacant space 13 insuch a way as to close the space and define the bottom of this space 13.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 10 and 11, this cap unit 40 comprises a liquidflowing conduit cylinder 42 which is fitted all through its length intothe inner cylinder portion 15, an inner cylinder 43 which is fittedaround the inner cylinder portion 15, and an outer cylinder 44 which isfitted into the attaching cylinder 5; and has an air vent groove 45disposed at the rear of the cap unit 40, extending from the uppersurface of the cylinder bottom 41 vertically up to a point on the outercircumferential surface of the outer cylinder 44.

With this arrangement, the outside and inside of the vessel 50 arelinked by the vacuum control air channel, which is formed by the airintake hole 11, the gap 14, the air intake hole 12, the upper portion ofthe vacant space 13, and the air vent groove 45, in the state in whichthe piston 10 has moved to the deepest area of the cylinder 7, i.e., inthe state in which liquid has been sprayed (See. FIGS. 2, 3, 8, 9, and10).

A connecting cylinder 46 is suspended under the cylinder bottom 41 ofthe cap unit 40 and is connected to the conduit cylinder 42. Theconnecting cylinder 46 is tilted forward and downward from the verticalaxis of the conduit cylinder 42, and has a positioning key groove on theinner surface at the front lower end.

The change-over valve unit 20 is disposed slantwise under the cap unit40 and comprises a long conduit pipe portion 22, of which upper portionis tightly fitted into the connecting cylinder 46 and which has apositioning key ridge on the outer front surface for the engagement withthe key groove of the connecting cylinder 46; a short bypass pipeportion 23 with its upper end closed by a cover; and a base pipe portion21, into which an inner pipe 24 is fitted and which has a sucking pipetightly fitted into the inner pipe 24.

The bypass pipe portion 23 is provided with liquid intake slits 26 inthe pipe wall, which are used to take in the liquid and send it to thepump 1 when the vessel is used in the upside-down position, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 13. A spherical check valve 28 sits on the valve seat 27which is formed in a conical shape by decreasing the pipe diametertoward the lower pipe end.

It is preferred that the change-over valve unit 20 has an angle of about20 degrees in the forward, downward direction from the vertical axis, sothat an assembly consisting of the manual pump 1, the change-over valveunit 20, the sucking pipe 25, and the fitting cap 30 can be accommodatedin the vessel 50 smoothly and reasonably, although there are changes inthis angle depending on the size and shape of the vessel.

The bypass pipe portion 23 is provided with four guide ribs 29 which aredisposed along the entire bypass length at roughly even intervals on theinner circumference, while avoiding a pair of liquid intake slits (SeeFIG. 12).

In the embodiment wherein the connecting cylinder 46 is disposed in aposition tilted forward and downward, the entire change-over valve unit20 is attached to the connecting cylinder 46 at a posture likewisetilted forward and downward. If the vessel is leaned forward with itsfront side facing downward, due to a decrease in the liquid volume, thenthe liquid intake slits 26 of the bypass pipe portion 23 may be exposedto the air, even if the lower end of the sucking pipe 25 remains dippedin the liquid. However, air will never be sucked up into the base pipeportion 21 through the liquid intake slits 26 of the bypass pipe portion23 because the check valve 28 remains sitting on the valve seat 27 owingto the tilted position of the entire change-over valve unit 20.

This invention described above in the preferred embodiments has thefollowing effectiveness.

In the invention according to claim 1, the vessel has an opening to thevacuum control air channel which takes in air from outside to preventthe vessel from being put under a negative pressure caused by thedecrease in liquid volume. This opening of the channel to the vessel isdisposed at the rear side of the cap unit. In addition, the change-overvalve unit is installed in a position tilted forward and downward. Dueto this arrangement, the air taken into the vessel goes up in the liquidas bubbles at a position distant from the liquid intake slits of thebypass pipe portion when the vessel is used in the upside-down position,and thus there is no fear that air flows in the bypass pipe portionthrough the liquid intake slits. Since air does not mix in the liquid tobe discharged forcibly, normal operation can be obtained securely andsmoothly to discharge the liquid forcibly from the vessel in theupside-down position.

When the vessel is used in such a position, it is an ordinary practiceto discharge the liquid forcibly from the vessel so that the nozzle headfaces downward to some extent, rather than in the upright position, forthe convenience of easy discharging operation. In such a tiltedposition, the air taken in from outside rises to the liquid surface nearthe inner rear wall. Because this bubble-rising position is distant fromthe liquid intake slits of the bypass pipe portion, the air intakethrough the liquid intake slits is certainly avoided.

In the invention according to claim 2, the connecting cylinder isattached slantwise to the cap unit, which is a component of the fittingcap. This simple arrangement enables the change-ever valve unit to beattached in a certain tilted posture and therefore to be utilized in itsexisting structure, thus making it possible for the invention to bepracticed simply and inexpensively.

In the invention according to claim 3, the check valve in the bypasspipe portion steadily achieves its check work, and prevents air frombeing sucked up into the pumping area rough the bypass pipe portion,when the vessel is used at such an angle that the bypass pipe portion isput in a roughly horizontal position, and when at that time, the bypasspipe portion is exposed to air. Therefore, even if there is a decreasein the liquid volume inside the vessel, it is possible to discharge theliquid securely and stably from the vessel in its lying position.

Since the bypass pipe portion of the change-over valve unit has a simplestructure comprising multiple guide ribs disposed around the inner wallof the bypass, the water flow through the bypass pipe portion can besecured easily and properly.

What is claimed:
 1. A vessel assembly that can be used in an upside-downposition, the vessel assembly comprising: a vessel for containing aliquid; a manual pump attached to a mouth of the vessel with anattaching cylinder, the manual pump being manually operable to draw theliquid through an intake pipe portion and to discharge the liquidforcibly from the vessel; a cap unit attached to the attaching cylinderfrom beneath, the cap unit having a liquid-flowing conduit cylinderlinked to the manual pump; a change-over valve unit fitted into the capunit from beneath, the change-over valve unit comprising; a base pipeportion, the intake pipe portion being connected to a lower end of thebase pipe portion; a conduit pipe portion disposed on the base pipeportion and linked to the conduit cylinder, the conduit pipe portionbeing tilted forward and downward in the vessel and a lower part of theconduit pipe portion being parallel with a bypass pipe portion; and thebypass pipe portion tilted forward and downward in the vessel, thebypass pipe portion including a bypass wall, a pair of liquid intakeslits in the bypass wall, and a check valve provided inside the bypasspipe portion, the bypass pipe being closed at an upper end; wherein:when the vessel is in an upright position, the check valve is closed andthe liquid is prevented from flowing between the conduit pipe portionand the bypass pipe portion; and when the vessel is in the upside-downposition, the check valve is open and the liquid can flow between theconduit pipe portion and the bypass pipe portion; and a vacuum controlair channel in the attaching cylinder for supplying air to the inside ofthe vessel, the vacuum control air channel including a first opening ina cylinder of the manual pump that communicates with an exterior of thevessel when a piston of the manual pump has moved to the inside of thecylinder and a second opening disposed at a rear portion of the capunit, the second opening communicating with an interior of the vessel;and wherein when the vessel is used in the upside-down position, airentering through the vacuum control air channel does not communicatewith the liquid intake slits as the air passes through the liquid. 2.The vessel assembly of claim 1, comprising a connecting cylinderdisposed under the cap unit in a position tilted forward and downward,and linked to the conduit cylinder, wherein the upper portion of theconduit pipe portion of the change-over valve unit is fitted tightlyinto the connecting cylinder.
 3. The vessel assembly of claim 2,wherein: the change-over valve unit comprises a check valve including atleast three guide ribs having a vertical ridge shape; the guide ribs aredisposed circumferentially around the inner surface of the bypass pipeportion of a larger bore diameter than the diameter of the check valve,in an arrangement that maintains the check valve axially at the centerof the bypass portion; and the guide ribs are disposed at a height suchthat the diameter of the imaginary circle formed by connecting all thepeaks of the guide ribs is larger than the diameter of the check valve.4. The vessel assembly of claim 1, wherein: the change-over valve unitcomprises a check valve including at least three guide ribs having avertical ridge shape; the guide ribs are disposed circumferentiallyaround the inner surface of the bypass pipe portion of a larger borediameter than the diameter of the check valve, in an arrangement thatmaintains the check valve axially at the center of the bypass portion;and the guide ribs are disposed at a height such that the diameter ofthe imaginary circle formed by connecting all the peaks of the guideribs is larger than the diameter of the check valve.